"Taken a big chunk out of his neck" - John Eustace reacts to biting incident in Preston v Blackburn Rovers match | OneFootball

The Rovers boss has had his say after defender Owen Beck alleged that he was bitten by the PNE striker

Blackburn Rovers head-coach John Eustace has had his say after an alleged biting incident involving Preston North End striker Milutin Osmajic and Rovers defender Owen Beck in the closing stages of the Championship clash between the two sides on Sunday.

It was a fiery Lancashire derby at Deepdale between the Lilywhites and Rovers, and a game that stole the headlines despite finishing 0-0 due to the brawl that occurred in the final few minutes after tempers had reached boiling point.

The match had just ticked into the 87th minute when Blackburn striker Yuki Ohashi tripped Osmajic to give North End a free-kick, and Duane Holmes looked to play on before Beck took a swipe and sent him tumbling to the ground.

The Liverpool loanee was duly sent off by referee Matt Donohue, making it 10 vs 10 after Sam Greenwood's earlier dismissal, but was furious after seemingly being bitten by the Montenegrin Osmajic just after he had kicked out at Holmes.

The substitute picked up a booking for his role in the scuffle, but faced no immediate consequences for the alleged bite, yet is now being investigated by the FA for the possible offence.

According to the Lancashire Telegraph, The FA have asked Blackburn for their observations as they investigate the incident, and the club are assisting with their enquiries and will provide the relevant information in the next 24 hours.

John Eustace's view on Osmajic's alleged bite

Eustace was interviewed in the aftermath of his side's draw at Deepdale, and remained largely coy about his views over the alleged bite, but was very clear about what he believed had happened to his player.

“Obviously that’s what happens in local derbies, you know, emotions get very high,” he told Sky Sports.

“You can see from the television pictures that the kid has taken a big chunk out of his neck, so that’s a part of being in the derby I suppose.

Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom did not try to defend his striker in his own post-match verdict, after admitting he had not seen the melee back, but did conclude that "we don't want to see biting on a football pitch."

Osmajic could be banned if found guilty

While the FA's investigations against Osmajic are still in the early stages and not concluded as yet, the evidence against the 25-year-old does not look good, and he could face a lengthy ban if found guilty of the bite on Beck.

The most notable previous conviction for biting in English football was that of Liverpool frontman Luis Suarez, when he received a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in 2013, so it would not come as a shock for Preston's record signing to receive a similar ban if he is charged with the same offence.

The Montenegrin international has struggled for form at times in the Championship since his move from Spanish side Cadiz for a club-record fee of just over £2m last summer, but he would still be a big miss for Heckingbottom's side if he is forced to sit out of a number of upcoming games.

He netted eight times in 36 league outings last term, but has started his second season at Preston on the bench behind Emil Riis with five appearances as a substitute so far in the Championship, yet he did bag a hat-trick in the second round of the EFL Cup against Harrogate Town last month.

It is unclear just how serious the punishment could be for Osmajic if he is found guilty of biting Beck, but a conclusion to the investigation is likely to be reached soon with the Lilywhites next in action against Millwall on September 28.